Tag: Appointment

Singapore – Global adtech TripleLift announces that it will be expanding its global presence into the Asia-Pacific market, as well as announcing Singapore-based Henry Shelley to be appointed as TripleLift’s new managing director.

Part of the expanded regional market presence is due to the fact the company has seen a growth of APAC publisher partnerships in the last two years by over 250%. 

TripleLift’s multiple ad formats have become an integral part of the programmatic revenue strategies for most of those publishers. Since launching the industry’s first native ad exchange in 2014, TripleLift has expanded its marketplace and offerings to include display and video.

Meanwhile, Shelley brings extensive experience accelerating client business and expanding company operations across regions, including London, Australia, and Singapore. He most recently served as general manager for The Trade Desk, leading its expansion across Southeast Asia. Prior to that, he was global account lead for Amnet Programmatic Experts of the Dentsu Aegis Network and held positions at marketing agencies Columbus Agency and Latitude.

For Shelley, programmatic native advertising is, more than ever, now an essential and permanent fixture on media plans across the APAC region. He added that great-looking ad formats enrich people’s experience with brands, which then gives advertisers, publishers, and broadcasters performance that scales.

“TripleLift quickly established itself as a trusted partner in Australia, and with the company’s acquisition – one of the largest transactions in ad tech history – expansion in key markets across APAC is accelerating. I am beyond thrilled to lead TripleLift’s next phase of growth in APAC, helping shape the future of digital advertising and making advertising work better for everyone in the region,” he stated.

TripleLift first launched its native programmatic product seven years ago to help publishers compete with large media platforms that were grabbing an increasingly disproportionate slice of ad budgets and squeezing publishers across the open web in the process. Since then, the company expanded its product portfolio to support every major programmatically transactable ad format from display to connected TV (CTV).

Meanwhile, Jacqueline Quantrell, chief revenue officer at TripleLift, stated that as the region is home to several of the worlds’ largest and fastest-growing digital ad markets, APAC presents publishers and advertisers with an enormous opportunity to harness the power of programmatic to achieve business objectives.

“With our established suite of ad formats, increased investment in new technologies, and Henry at the helm of our business in APAC, we’re poised to help more publishers grow their share of budget and help advertisers reach their target audiences,” Quantrell concluded.

Mumbai, India – Global digital ad verification company Integral Ad Science (IAS) has recently announced the appointment of Saurabh Khattar as its commercial lead for IAS India, where he will be responsible in leading sales operations of the company in India, as well working with brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms in the region.

In this new role, he will focus as on accelerating IAS’s sales operations in India and building strong partnerships with brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms to help them go beyond verification and make every ad impression count

Prior to joining IAS, Khattar was the director of sales and media partnerships at advertising platform Taboola, where he supported leading brands and agencies with digital advertising and content strategies across India and the wider APAC region. Prior to Taboola, he also held sales and marketing roles at corporate gifts supplier 5by7 and the India Infrastructure Publishing Private Limited.

“Joining IAS at this critical point in the company’s journey is an exciting opportunity, as the growth of digital advertising drives a greater need for media quality measurement. India’s digital media market is evolving quickly, and I look forward to working with marketers and publishers to tap into IAS’s solutions that can help drive efficiency and return on their investments in a new way,” he said regarding his appointment.

He will report to Laura Quigley, senior vice president for APAC at IAS.

IAS has been recently involved in various company moves, such as recently with The Global Disinformation Index (GDI), the web-based tool that rates news outlets, in a bid to protect brands from running ads on sites that have been identified for misinformation.

Sydney, Australia – Backbase, a banking platform based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has recently appointed Iman Ghodosi as the new regional vice president for Asia-Pacific, where one of his main responsibilities in the new role is to drive the company’s international expansion, product development, and APAC market growth.

Part of that market growth expansion is centered around small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as in the retail, corporate and wealth management banking sectors.

Ghodosi was previously the vice president and general manager for APAC at enterprise software company Zuora. He has also worked at organizations SAP, Oracle, and Netsuite. He holds an MBA from the University of Newcastle in Australia and a Master of e-business from the University of Southern Queensland.

Speaking about his appointment, he said that he is thrilled to join the company, which enables the disruptors of the banking industry and incumbents alike, as well as offering an end-to-end omni-channel banking platform from the ground up using open standards to support the digital transformation journey of any sized bank.

“With over 120 strong team members in the region, we will continue to ramp up investments in the next several months, hiring for key roles in ASEAN, ANZ, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and India,” Ghodosi said.

He added, “In a platform era of Grab, Netflix and Spotify, people today want the same self-service experience with access to their personal financials, anytime, anywhere. Such consumer habits, compounded by the pandemic have disrupted the financial services industry and nowhere in the world do we see it more than in Asia Pacific. Backbase is primed to address this real need, helping banks to adopt and build modern, cloud-native digital banking platforms to keep pace with changing consumer demands, gain a 360-degree view into banking behaviours, and grow market share.”

Meanwhile, Jouk Pleiter, CEO and founder at Backbase, said, “As we continue to make inroads into the global financial services sector, I’m pleased to welcome Iman to our leadership team and look forward to his team capitalizing on the growth opportunities, while supporting banks in orchestrating seamless banking experiences for their customers and employees.”

Backbase has a team of almost 1,500 people spread across 22 countries and 15 offices, including offices in Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo.

Japan – TotallyAwesome, the largest kids-safe digital advertising and content platform in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, has announced that it will be expanding its market presence in Japan to further reach the hard-to-get audiences.

Following this endeavor, the business has also hired Mikio Kudo, former country president of toy brand Mattel, to be its new country manager in Japan. He will be supported by new senior appointments at TotallyAwesome in the coming months.

Kudo brings with him 20 years of experience in marketing and media. He has previously worked as the executive director for commercial broadcasting company Turner Japan KK and media sales manager for financial software giant Bloomberg LP. Kudo specializes in managing licensing deals, original content sales, and advertising sales.

Commenting on Kudo’s appointment, Will Anstee, the CEO of TotallyAwesome, said that this is a huge strategic win for TotallyAwesome as Kudo is a rare talent who understands both the client and publisher sides in a complex market like Japan, enabling the business to execute superior engagement strategies for our clients’ competitive edge. 

“I couldn’t be more excited and optimistic for the future of the business, but more importantly, our continued ambition to make the internet safe and compliant for brands and Japanese youth online,” added Anstee.

The digital platform is an advanced forum for kids, teens, co-viewing families, and brands to safely interact across thousands of apps, games, and websites, enabling a youth-safe ecosystem across APAC. In Japan, TotallyAwesome has an audience of 17 million internet users aged six to 18 years old, as well as two million families that view the internet as a family unit.

Singapore – Video-sharing app TikTok has appointed Sameer Singh, former chief executive officer of media investment company GroupM in South Asia (SA), as its new head of global business solutions for the platform’s ‘TikTok for Business’ Southeast Asia (SEA) team.

The ‘TikTok For Business’ arm was introduced in July 2020 which aims to empower businesses of all sizes to engage with their target customers in a unique and creative way while creating a positive and safe environment for brand partners.

The new appointment will see Singh leading the sales and business marketing solutions for ‘TikTok for Business’ products across SEA. He brings with him over 25 years of experience in innovative marketing and advertising solutions, working as a key employee for brands like Google, and healthcare giant GSK, as well as consumer goods company Procter & Gamble, and advertising agency IPG. Singh has also worked in various locations across the globe, including Boston, London, and Dubai, as well as Guangzhou, among others.

“TikTok has supported tens of thousands of enterprises and partners, especially small and medium businesses, to elevate their marketing and advertising efforts and grow their business with our extensive product suite,” said Singh. 

“Southeast Asia is a fast-growing region with boundless potential, especially in the short-form content space, and the Southeast Asian markets continue to be a priority for us as we expand and innovate our TikTok for Business offerings to suit the diverse needs of this region,” added Singh.

Meanwhile, Blake Chandlee, the president of TikTok’s Global Business Solutions, said that Singh’s role comes at a dynamic time as TikTok introduces new and creative ways for brands of all sizes to reach success on TikTok. 

“Singh has been indispensable in driving TikTok’s advertising efforts thus far. We’re absolutely delighted to welcome him to this new role and look forward to seeing how he will propel the team to new heights as Head of Global Business Solutions in Southeast Asia,” said Chandlee.

Australia – TotallyAwesome, the largest kids-safe digital advertising, and content platform in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, has appointed James Sawyer, former managing partner of media agency Ikon Communications, as its new managing director for the platform’s Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) operations.

The digital platform is an advanced forum for kids, teens, co-viewing families, and brands to safely interact across thousands of apps, games, and websites, enabling a youth-safe ecosystem across APAC.

The appointment will see Sawyer leading TotallyAwesome ANZ’s media and content team, helping clients and media agencies connect with kids, teens, and their families through the platform. He brings with him 20 years of experience in Australian media.

Commenting on his appointment, Sawyer said that leading TotallyAwesome ANZ to its next phase is a career changer for him and that he’s looking forward to joining the business. 

He added, “As the industry moves away from cookie-based targeting TotallyAwesome is poised for growth through its visionary kid-safe technology and privacy-compliant digital ecosystem. This ensures a safe environment for young audiences to engage with branded content.”

Meanwhile, Will Anstee, the CEO of TotallyAwesome APAC, commented, “James is the ideal executive for this key role. He is a highly respected media leader with finely tuned analytical, performance leadership, and partnership skills. The business in ANZ and across APAC has enormous growth potential and James will play a vital role in helping us realize this potential.”

The platform has also announced other new hires, namely Amanda Abel, the new pediatric psychologist, and Alice Almeida, the new regional head of data, as well as Jo-Ann Yeoh, the new head of account and project management.

India – Global marketing and advertising company Zoomd Technologies and its subsidiary Zoomd, the marketing technology user-acquisition and engagement platform, has launched their sales operation in India, to promote its online advertising and user acquisition services in the new market.

Following this endeavor, the company has also appointed Parthiban Vairamudi as its business development manager for its India and SEA operations. Vairamudi has previously worked as the chief executive officer of the marketing and advertising company DigitalOOH. He brings with him over 18 years of experience in the digital and business development sectors. Vairamudi will now be responsible for Zoomd’s growth in the Indian and regional markets.

Zoomd seeks to position itself as a viable player in the country’s advertising industry. According to a report by Business Standard in February 2021, the Indian ad spend is expected to rise by 23% for the year after experiencing a 21.5% drop in 2020.

“The strong market recovery we have seen in this quarter made it a final decision for us. We intend to onboard new customers and publishers over the course of the year and become a meaningful player in the Indian ad space. We welcome Parthiban to lead our efforts in this region,” said Ofer Eiten, the CEO of Zoomd.

Singapore – Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K), a global public relations consulting company, has appointed two key senior hires to strengthen its regional hub capabilities in Singapore.

The new hires are Jason Cheang, the new director of integrated communications, and Vylvianne Devajothi, the new regional PR services lead. Both will report directly to Matthew Briant, the head of H+K’s I+C Hub in Asia and managing director of H+K Singapore.

Cheang has previously worked as the head of digital for the Metia Group teams in the Asia Pacific and Japan. He specializes in digital strategy, creative ideation, and experiential events, which enabled him to work with various companies and government clients, such as the Singapore Tourism Board, Ministry of Transport, and GovTech, as well as Singtel, among others. Cheang will now be responsible for the H+K Asia’s Innovation + Creativity (I+C) Hub, bringing with him his sixteen years of experience in digital strategy and marketing communications.

Meanwhile, Devajothi previously led integrated communications for corporate clients across PR and social at Havas Singapore. She specializes in PR, digital, social, and offline, with a focus on content strategy and distribution, and has worked with different brands, such as Nikon, Philip Morris International, and Singapore Management University, as well as Roche Diagnostics, among others. Devajothi brings with her almost a decade of experience in the consumer and enterprise technology sectors across both the Asia Pacific and the US.

The H+K’s regional hub in Singapore aims to build a team that will drive forward regional consistency while being aligned with local market nuances, and helps brands to communicate effectively.

Commenting on the two new appointments, Briant said, “I am thrilled to have these two accomplished individuals join our regional Hub team. At H+K, we put creativity and team culture at the heart of everything we do. I am confident that this further strengthening of our regional capabilities will drive greater value for our clients through consistently delivering the highest standard of creative and strategic communications across Asia.”

Meanwhile, HS Chung, the president of H+K Asia, also shared that having Cheang and Devajothi onboard underlines their ambition to aggressively pursue growth and focus on creating leading-edge offerings for their clients across the region. 

“Our Innovation + Creativity Hub has been successfully providing our regional clients with Podcasting and Multi-Platform Measurement services particularly in these times among others. By bringing on board these talented minds, I look forward to strengthening our capabilities by implementing customer-centric solutions ensuring purpose and excellence at the center,” added Chung.

Global – ECI Software Solutions, a cloud-based business management solutions company, has appointed former chief marketing officer and partner of fractional CMO firm Chief Outsiders, Adrian van Haaften, as its new chief marketing officer.

Van Haaften will be responsible for leading ECI’s global marketing and demand generation strategy, overseeing its execution across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, as well as bringing ECI’s brand vision to life.

Prior to his new position, Van Haaften has led go-to-market and growth strategies for both high-velocity startups and market leaders. He brings with him 20 years of experience driving the growth and expansion of global software companies, to focus mainly on the customer journey to ECI. 

Commenting on his appointment, Van Haaften said that ECI has had tremendous success helping thousands of SMB customers get business done and that he is thrilled to be joining the company at a time when ECI is accelerating its industry leadership and product innovation. 

“I look forward to working with the global marketing team and the entire ECI organization to educate the many industries we serve about ECI’s broad range of market-leading products and our unwavering commitment to the success of our customers,” said van Haaften.

Meanwhile, Trevor Gruenewald, CEO of ECI Software Solutions, said, “Over its history, ECI has grown from a startup to a multinational company serving small and medium businesses around the world, and we’re only getting started. Adrian brings a wealth of strategic experience in driving global expansion and positioning companies for growth, with a broad understanding of what it takes to build successful, market-leading SaaS organizations at scale. We welcome Adrian to the team as we continue our growth journey.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dentsu Malaysia has unified its creative line of service, Lemonade and Isobar, in an aim to enhance and scale its in-house digital experience technology solutions.

Prior to the merge, Dentsu MY tapped Lemonade’s Managing Director Ruhana DaSilva to lead the newly expanded Isobar, as Lemonade’s marketing and social commerce offerings will now reside within Isobar. She will directly report to the CEO of dentsu Malaysia Kien Eng Tan.

During DaSilva’s five years in dentsu, she has played an important role in developing partnerships and effective digital teams driving the growth of Lemonade. She managed to successfully collaborate with international brands Spotify, NBA, Estée Lauder Companies, and Abbott. 

The now expanded Isobar will become the network’s go-to-market brand for experience-led transformation for brands. Dentsu’s modern creativity offering will bring together creative, marketing, and technology services through its new ‘on-demand’ delivery model.

Commenting on her appointment, DaSilva said that with dentsu’s global transformation to simplify and deliver integrated marketing solutions that are data-driven, tech-enabled, and ideas-led, Lemonade was positioned to integrate a hyper-personalized and consumer-first approach to that of Isobar’s global digital experience as a market leader.

“From scaling a team with a variety of clients and partners from sports and entertainment, health and beauty, and more. This represents a meaningful milestone for our teams and partners as we look ahead to forge the way for the new virtual economy,” said DaSilva.

Meanwhile, Tan also commented that the merge is for clients to have easier access to end-to-end creative solutions that are driven by everything from building meaningful brands, driving end-to-end platform experiences, and to innovating products and services, and transformation consulting in an age of inclusive intelligence. 

“Customer experiences have changed in 2020, and we can only expect to see more brands shifting their focus on creating and realizing hyper-transformational customer experiences,” added Tan.